Method and means of skinning meat

ABSTRACT

A meat skinning machine and method for skinning wherein a shelf means is adjustably positioned between a meat support surface and the cutting edge of a skinning knife just beyond the periphery of the teeth of a gripping roll wherein the meat is supported immediately adjacent the cutting edge at a position beyond the periphery of the gripping roll just prior to the time the meat moves into contact with the cutting edge to permit the meat to move in an angular direction towards the roll and into contact with the edge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Meat skinning machines characteristically include a frame which includesa meat supporting surface, a cylindrical gripping roll with a pluralityof teeth on the outer surface thereof, and a blade holding device whichmaintains a cutting blade closely adjacent the teeth of the grippingroll. The meat, fish or poultry to be skinned is moved into contact withthe teeth of the gripping roll which pulls the meat into engagement withthe cutting edge of the blade. The blade severs the skin of the meatproduct whereby the separated skin is pulled underneath the blade by thegripping roll, and the skinned meat product passes over the top of theblade to a suitable receptacle.

The thickness of the skin or layer of material to be removed from themeat product in conventional skinning machines has heretofore beenvaried by adjusting the position of the cutting edge of the blade withrespect to the teeth of the gripping roll. Thus, when the cutting edgeis positioned closely adjacent the cutting teeth a thinner layer isremoved from the meat product. Conversely, when the cutting edge isspaced further from the periphery of the gripping teeth of the gripperroll a thicker layer of skin and/or fat is removed from the meatproduct.

While great advances have been made in skinning machines over the years,the precision at which skin or membranes are removed from meat productshas been less than perfect. Obviously, valuable meat products are wastedif too much material is removed, and the quality of the meat product isdepreciated if less than the desired skin or membrane is removed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an elongated shelf means immediatelyadjacent the cutting edge of the blade with the shelf means extendingradially beyond the periphery of the gripping roll to support the meatproduct until just prior to the time when the meat product moves intocontact with the cutting edge of the blade. The shelf means permits themeat product to then move in an angular direction towards the grippingroll and into contact with the cutting edge of the blade to permit thecutting edge to separate the membrane or skin from the meat product. Theseparated skin or membrane will engage the teeth of the gripping roll tobe pulled away from the cutting edge by these teeth in a path betweenthe cutting blade and the teeth. Variations in the depth of cut of thecutting blade are achieved by varying the distance between the shelfmeans and the cutting edge of the blade. A greater distance creates adeeper cut, and a close spacing results in a thinner cut.

The shelf means of this invention is presented in several embodiments.The first embodiment includes conventional skin stripping elementshaving a base portion and an arcuate open hook portion having aperipherial edge, with the hook portion being received into an annulargroove cut in the gripping roll. A meat supporting edge extends radiallybeyond the outer peripheral surface of the hook portion. When aplurality of the stripper elements are placed in a plurality of annulargroove in the gripper roll, the protruding meat supporting edges on thestripper elements provide the supporting shelf means of this invention.

Alternate forms of the invention provide the supporting shelf mounted onthe frame of the skinning machine independent of any stripper elements.The second embodiment has a plurality of meat supporting fingers whichextend into the annular grooves of the gripping roll in a positionclosely adjacent the cutting edge of the cutting blade to provide thenecessary shelf means. A third embodiment with either fingers or ofsolid construction is positioned similarly except that it is positionedbeyond the periphery of the teeth of the gripping roll and allows agripping roll without annular grooves to be utilized.

The above-described stripping elements and shelf means are adjustablymounted so that the distance between the shelf means and the cuttingedge of the blade can be selectively varied.

The method of this invention contemplates the support of the meatproduct immediately adjacent the cutting edge of the blade at a positionradially beyond the periphery of the gripping roll to support the meatproduct until just prior to the time that the meat product moves intocontact with the cutting edge to permit the meat product to move in anangular direction towards the gripping roll and into contact with thecutting edge to permit the blade to separate the membrane from the meatproduct. The separated membrane will then engage the teeth and be pulledaway from the cutting edge by the teeth in a path between the cuttingblade and the teeth.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a skinning machinewhich will more accurately and efficiently allow a predetermined amountof skin or membrane to be removed from a meat product.

A further object of the invention is to provide a skinning machine thatprovides a support means for the meat product at a location immediatelyadjacent the cutting edge of the cutting blade at a location beyond theperiphery of the teeth of the gripping roll to allow the meat product tomove in an angular direction into contact with the cutting edge wherebythe blade will remove the desired skinner membrane from the meat productand the separated skin will be pulled by the teeth of the gripping rollinto a path between the blade and the roll.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a skinningmachine that can be easily adjusted to vary the space between the meatsupporting shelf and the cutting edge of the blade to achieve variationsin the thickness of the skin or membrane being removed from the meatproduct.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method of skinningmeat products whereby the meat is supported closely adjacent the cuttingedge of the cutting blade in a position beyond the periphery of theteeth of the gripping roll, and whereby the meat product is thenpermitted to move in an angular path towards the cutting edge of theblade whereby the blade can separate the skin or membrane from the meatproduct and the teeth of the gripping roll can pull the separated skinor membrane away from the cutting edge.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a stripperelement for a meat skinning machine which will have a meat supportingedge at one end of an arcuate open-ended hook portion which, whenassembled with other stripper elements in the spaced annular grooves ofa gripping roll, will provide a meat supporting surface immediatelyadjacent the cutting edge of the blade.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the meat skinning machine of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale sectional view through the gripper roll ofthe skinning machine of this invention, and shows the stripper elementsand meat supporting edges associated therewith;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale view of the upper portion of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged scale view of the upper portion of FIG. 2, butwith the stripper elements in an adjusted position to create a greaterspace between the meat supporting edges of the stripper elements and thecutting edge of the blade;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a gripper roll of this invention with thestripper elements of FIGS. 2-4 inserted in the annular grooves therein;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through an alternate form of the inventionwherein a shelf means having a plurality of fingers inserted intoannular grooves of the gripping roll are positioned to provide a meatsupporting surface immediately adjacent the cutting edge of the blade;

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the shelf means of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 6 but showing a thirdembodiment of the invention where the shelf means is supported at aposition beyond the periphery of the teeth of the gripping roll.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The term "meat product" as used herein will be understood to includemeat, poultry and fish products. The terms "skin" and "membrane" will beused synonymously herein unless specifically designated otherwise.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine 10 is generally comprisedof a frame 12 having supporting legs 14. An upper meat support surface16 is located on the upper portion of frame 12, and a second meatsupport surface 18 is provided on the top of frame 12 opposite to meatsupport surface 16. A conventional toothed gripping roll 20 is rotatablymounted by conventional means on frame 12. Gripping roll 20 can haveconventional annular grooves 22 cut therein as best seen in FIG. 5. Aplurality of teeth 24 are cut on the outer surface of roll 20. A shelfmeans 26 (FIG. 1) is positioned on the machine in a position parallel togrippng roll 20 and positioned slightly over the gripping roll. Aconventional blade holder 28 is mounted on the machine and holdsconventional cutting blade 30 having a cutting edge 32 at a positionclosely adjacent the teeth 24 on roll 20.

The first embodiment of the invention is best shown in FIGS. 1-5 andincludes a plurality of stripper elements 34 which have a base portion36 and an arcuate open hook portion 38 extending from the base portion.The hook portion 38 has an upper peripheral surface 40 which terminatesin a meat support edge 42. The hook portion 38 is complementary in shapeto the annular groove 22 and has a vertical thickness such that theupper peripheral surface 40 dwells at a position radially inwardly fromthe outer tips of teeth 24. However, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and4, the meat support edge 42 dwells in a plane radially beyond the tipsof the teeth 24. When the support edges 42 of a plurality of stripperelements 34 are mounted in a plurality of annular grooves 22 of agripping roll 20, a collective shelf 26 is formed to support a meatproduct at a position beyond the outer periphery of the teeth 24 of roll20.

As shown in FIG. 2, a shaft 44 extends through a suitable aperture ineach of the stripper elements 34 in a direction parallel to the axis ofgripper roll 20. Lugs 46 are mounted on the ends of shaft 44 and theinner ends of threaded bolt 48 are rotatably journaled in any convenientfashion with lugs 46. Aperture 50 in frame member 12A slidably receivesthe threaded bolt 48. Lock nut 52 is threadably mounted on bolt 48 andcontrol knob 54 is mounted on the outer end of bolt 48.

The pivotal position of stripper element 34 is changed from the positionshown in the solid lines of FIG. 2 to the position shown by the dottedlines merely by grasping knob 54, pulling bolt member 48 outwardly sothat shaft 44 moves from position A to position B, and lock nut 48 isthen rotated to a position adjacent frame member 12A to hold the shaft44 in this adjusted position. This rotation of stripper element 34causes the support edge 42 to move from a closely spaced position withrespect to the cuttng edge 32 of blade 30 (FIG. 3) to a greater spacedposition as shown in FIG. 4. The position illustrated in FIG. 3 of thesecomponents is better adapted to strip the thin membrane of steak or thelike from the steak, and the greater space illustrated in FIG. 4 isbetter suited to strip heavier skin from chicken or other poultryproducts.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 6 wherein aconventional meat conveying device 56 is utilized in place of the meatsupport 16. A shelf 58 is positioned on the machine adjacent the cuttingedge 30 of blade 32. Shelf 58 includes a solid base portion 59 whichterminates in a plurality of spaced apart fingers 60. Fingers 60 have anupper meat support edge 62 similar to the meat support edge 42 onstripper element 34. The fingers 60 are received in the grooves 22 ofroll 20 but the meat support edges 62 of fingers 60 extend radiallyoutwardly beyond the periphery of the teeth 24 of roll 20.

An elongated slot 64 appears in the base 59 of shelf 58 and receivesadjustment screw 65 which is threadably mounted in frame member 66.Frame member 68 has a suitable vertical aperture to slidably receivethreaded bolt 70 which has its upper end rotatably journaled by anyconvenient means in frame member 66. A lock nut 72 is threadably mountedon bolt 70, and knob 74 is located on the lower end of bolt 70.

Shelf 58 can be moved laterally towards or away from blade 30 byloosening screw 65 and moving the shelf to the desired positionwhereupon screw 65 is tightened to maintain the new position. Similarly,shelf 58 can be raised or lowered by adjusting the lock nut 72 on bolt70 and moving bolt 70 upwardly or downwardly to move frame member 66 andshelf 58 upwardly or downwardly. Frame member 66 is movably mounted byany convenient means on frame 12. Thus, the adjustment of frame 58 in ahorizontal or vertical direction can be easily implemented.

A third alternate form of the invention is shown in FIG. 8. Thestructure of FIG. 8 is similar to that of FIG. 6, except that a shelf 76is attached to frame member 66 at a position beyond the periphery of theteeth of gripping roll 78. Shelf 76 has an upper meat support edge orsurface 80 which can be either of solid and continuous construction, orcan be divided into a plurality of fingers similar to the fingers 60 onshelf 58. Shelf 76 can be utilized in the position shown in FIG. 8either with a solid roll 78 having continuous teeth 24A, or a rollsimilar to gripping roll 20 utilizing conventional stripper elementswithout the support edge 42 which comprise a part of stripper element34.

The normal operation of the device of FIGS. 1-5 involves the adjustmentof the desired spacing between the support edge 42, and the cutting edge32 of blade 30. See the variations in this spacing between FIGS. 3 and4.

The meat product is moved from left to right on meat support surface 16as seen in FIGS. 2-4 and as the meat product leaves the surface 16 it issupported on the edges 42 in a position radially beyond the teeth ofgripping roll 20. As the meat product moves past the forward edge 82 ofsupport edge 42, it moves instantaneously in an angular directiondownwardly towards the teeth of gripping roll 20. The meat isinstantaneously engaged by the cutting edge 32 of blade 30, and themembrane or skin 84 is gripped by the teeth 20 and pulled downwardlybetween the teeth and the blade 30 as it is separated from the meatproduct 86. This phenomenon is best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

This angular "bite" that the structure of this invention creates isafforded by the meat support edges 42 which dwell beyond the outerperiphery of the teeth 24 on gripping roll 20. Unlike prior art skinningmachines, the meat product is not gripped and supported on the teeth ofthe gripping roll as the meat product moves into position with respectto the cutting blade of the machine.

The shelves 58 and 76 in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8function similar to the device of FIGS. 2-5 in that the shelves 58 and76 both provide a meat support surface beyond the periphery of the teethof the respective gripping rolls to support the meat product until it isclosely positioned with respect to the cutting edge 32 of the blade 30.The positions of the shelves 58 and 56 can be moved towards or away fromthe cutting edge 32 and can be raised or lowered vertically as required.Again, a close spacing of the shelves with respect to the cutting edgeof the blade results in the removal of a thinner layer of material froma meat product, and a wider space results in a thicker layer of materialbeing removed from the meat product.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that this invention achieves at leastits stated objectives.

I claim:
 1. A skinning machine comprising a frame, a powered grippingroll having a plurality of gripping teeth rotatably mounted on saidframe, a cutting blade having a cutting edge mounted on said frame withsaid cutting edge being closely spaced from and parallel to said roll, asupport means on said frame adjacent said gripping roll for supportingmeat products having a membrance on the lower surface thereof to bemoved towards said cutting blade, the improvement comprising,anelongated shelf means for controlling the thickness of the portion ofsaid meat product to be removed in conjunction with the removal of themembrane to be removed from said meat product, said shelf means mountedon said machine between said support means and said cutting edge; saidshelf means being immediately adjacent said cutting edge and including ameat supporting edge which extends beyond the periphery of said grippingroll to support said meat product until just prior to the time that saidmeat product moves into contact with said cutting edge to permit saidmeat product to move in an angular direction towards said gripping rolland into contact with said cutting edge to permit said cutting edge toseparate said membrane from said meat product whereby said separatedmemberane will engage said teeth and be pulled away from said cuttingedge by said teeth in a path between said cutting blade and said teeth;said shelf means being adjustably mounted on said machine so that thedistance between said shelf means and the cutting edge of said blade canbe varied.
 2. The method of skinning meat on a skinning machinecomprising a frame, a powered gripping roll having a plurality ofgripping teeth rotatably mounted on said frame, a cutting blade having acutting edge mounted on said frame with said cutting edge being closelyspaced from and parallel to said roll, a support means on said frameadjacent said gripping roll for supporting meat products having amembrane on the lower surface thereof to be moved towards said cuttingblade, a shelf means on said frame immediately adjacent said cuttingedge and including a meat supporting edge which extends beyond theperiphery of said gripping roll for supporting said meat productscomprising,moving a meat product to be skinned on said support means,and thence on said meat supporting edge in a path beyond the peripheryof said gripping roll toward said cutting edge, movably supporting saidmeat product immediately adjacent said cutting edge at a position beyondthe periphery of said gripping roll until just prior to the time thatsaid meat product moves into contact with said cutting edge to permitsaid meat product to move in an angular direction towards said grippingroll and into contact with said cutting edge to permit said cutting edgeto separate said membrane from said meat product whereby said separatedmembrane will engage said teeth and be pulled away from said cuttingedge by said teeth in a path between said cutting blade and said teeth,adjusting the position of said shelf means with respect to said cuttingedge of said blade to adjust the thickness of said meat product to beremoved in conjunction with the removal of the membrane to be removedfrom said meat product.
 3. A skinning machine comprising a frame, apowered gripping roll having a plurality of gripping teeth rotatablymounted on said frame, a cutting blade having a cutting edge mounted onsaid frame with said cutting edge being closely spaced and parallel tosaid roll, the improvement comprising,an elongated shelf means forcontrolling the thickness of the portion of said meat product to beremoved in conjunction with the removal of the membrane to be removedfrom said meat product, said shelf means mounted on said machineimmediately adjacent said cutting edge and having a plurality of spacedapart fingers extending beyond the periphery of said gripping roll tosupport said meat product until just prior to the time that said meatproduct moves into contact with said cutting edge to permit said meatproduct to move in an angular direction towards said gripping roll andinto contact with said cutting edge to permit said cutting edge toseparate said membrane from said meat product whereby said separatedmembrane will engage said teeth and be pulled away from said cuttingedge by said teeth in a path between said cutting blade and said teeth;said elongated shelf means having a plurality of fingers having innerportions which terminate closely adjacent said cutting edge and havingouter portions which support said meat product.
 4. The machine of claim3 wherein said shelf means is adjustably mounted on said machine so thatthe distance between said shelf means and said cutting edge can bevaried.